So you think you can voiceover? Get ready to do the math!

So you think you can voiceover? Get ready to do the math!

If you are trying to get into the voiceover business and you’re sensitive about it… you may not want to read this. But if you want some honest truth… then keep reading.

Listen I’m not perfect, nor do I have an outstanding voice. But I’ve worked hard at this for about 10 years now (without a talent agent or joining an actors’ union), and it been a big investment in time and equipment to even get THIS far! I’m not YET narrating for National Geographic (my ultimate dream), but I’m having fun doing what I love, some people think I’m pretty good at it, and I’m helping lots of businesses along the way.

Time and time again, I meet people who discover I do this voiceover thing, and confidently they say, “yes, I’ve thought about doing voiceovers and narrations, people tell me I have a great voice. Can you tell me how to get into the voiceover business?”

Cue the sound FX……. wa wa waaaa (or listen to the audio in the clip below).

You can have a booming deep voice, a cute baby voice, a sexy sultry voice, or a silky gentle warm voice like David Attenborough. But until you hone it, control it, train it and make it work for you (yes “work” for you), it doesn’t matter what kind of voice you have…

And guess what? Great voice or not, I don’t want to hear from you until you really understand that voiceover work is WORK, it’s time and it’s money.

You have to be is honest with yourself. Understand there is a DIFFERENCE between tone of voice and actually speaking. Ask yourself a few questions first, and answer them honestly or have someone else answer you honestly before you even think about the business. Here’s a quick list…

You may have a great voice, but:

do you mumble?

do you string words together?

do you have a strong unappealing accent?

do you understand inflection and intonation?

does every sentence you say end like a question?

who told you that? Your mom?

If you think you want to be in the voiceover business, then practice, listen to others, read up on it, learn about it…and then give me a call if you want tips on how to get started.

But please don’t belittle me and others who have worked hard and invested in this craft by implying that all we do is “read out loud”. Meet me half way – prove to me that you’ve done more than simply decided you’ve got a ‘great voice’.

Does the ability to keep a beat entitle you to call yourself a dancer? I doubt it.